


Conversations with reality

by dann94



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Allura took the red lion, Canon Compliant, Kolivan has weird issues, M/M, Poor Keith, Post Season 2, Quantum Mechanics, Slow Burn, Swearing, cool quantum stuff will happen, the origins of war will be explained
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-13
Updated: 2017-07-13
Packaged: 2018-12-01 18:29:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,316
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11492154
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dann94/pseuds/dann94
Summary: The battle with Zarkon leaves Voltron in disarray when the Black Paladin goes missing. Without any clues and plans, the team slowly comes to terms with this new situation. It soon turns out that finding Shiro will have a very high price, but that won’t be the only challenge Voltron will have to face.With new allies come new questions. The origins of war will be brought to light and the Paladins will have to decide what was right, and what was easy.





	Conversations with reality

**Author's Note:**

> Edit: will post more chapters once the hype for S3 dies out a bit :) see you!
> 
> See end notes for more info on this fic.

The sentry entered a small, dark room with no windows. There was a single bulb throwing light on the center of a desk standing by the wall. His friend's watch had just ended and the sentry let him out, then closed the door behind him, saluted to the woman sitting at one side of the desk, and put his hands behind his back. His eyes fell on the stranger present in the room.

"Where is he now?" The woman asked the stranger.

"I don't know."

"Please..."

"I wouldn't have told you even if I knew! You're a traitor."

The room was quiet for a long time. Eventually, she turned her worried face to the sentry. "I know your shift just started but I dismiss you. You can go."

"But, Leader, this is not safe."

"My guest won't harm me. Please, go."

When the two stayed alone, she started again. "And I promise, for the hundredth time, that I won't harm you either. Please, Tyv, for the sake of our old friendship..."

"Don't call me that!"

"Alright, I won't. Can you please tell me where he is?"

Tyv leaned back on his chair and huffed. "I've told you. I don't know."

"Okay. What is Haggar's plan now?"

The guest hesitated for a moment and she nudged him gently.

"She called for Prince Lotor..."

The woman jumped in her spot and took a slow breath in. She gazed into Tyv's eyes intently, searching for the lie. It wasn't there.

"He's going to take Emperor Zarkon's place as the ruler. The old guy's good for nothing."

She thanked her guest and escorted him to his cell. Her head felt heavy. In her mind, an idea for an escape was formulating.

 

 

The Castle of Lions could get strangely quiet when everyone got busy with their own business. This tranquility of space could bring out thoughts about one's self. Those willing to look into themselves could realize things usually left out in the rush of day.

In this quietness, Keith finally understood he had become a Black Paladin. He didn't feel like one. He never wanted to be the leader of Voltron. And yet he was the last person to have a say in this matter. However, he accepted the way things worked out - Shiro did ask him to take his place if anything happened - and also, it was Keith's philosophy to go with the flow. Had he fought against the circumstances, the whole team would have suffered.

He didn’t just get in the Black Lion and take it for his own – he never considered the Lion to be his, never tried to make it so - even if Black was very responsive and accepted Keith right away. The right to pilot Black felt unlawfully, forcefully taken from Shiro. And sometimes Keith felt repulsed by having to lead Voltron just because of the thought of the missing real Black Paladin. In times like these, Keith considered himself a fraud - and the thought always lingered just underneath his consciousness, close enough to make him feel anxious without knowing exactly why. 

It was a long time coming, but there were times when he almost allowed himself the pride of a fight well fought or of a team well managed. He would almost crack a smile when others admitted that he was leading well, but never truly smile in fear of making it too real. If he didn’t acknowledge things like these, maybe Shiro’s inexplicable disappearance would, too, be less real.

What he knew he was doing well was this – he would never overthink his circumstances. Not once did he sit down and just take it all in – it was as if he refused to comprehend. In a way, he forged ahead with his eyes closed. Don’t ask questions, go with the flow.

No matter how busy he got with his responsibilities towards not only his team, he never stopped trying to find Shiro. And very soon he was going to realize that bringing him back would have a very high price.

 

 

The first fight after the fateful battle with Zarkon’s Robeast could’ve gone better.

They descended on a planet called Dozur-Vah after receiving a distress signal. It was covered in red sand, much like Mars.

“Anything remotely similar to our Solar System will make me homesick at this point,” Pidge yelped, and the rest of the Paladins glumly agreed.

The analytics systems installed on the Castle showed the basic parameters of the planet’s physicochemical properties, some of which were: dense clouds made mostly of methane, sulphur dioxide and siliceous and ferric dust, with some of the particles measuring up to 5 roveeks (when asked, Coran said that’s large enough to smash an open jet engine, to which Hunk promptly replied that this can hardly be considered dust). Surface pressure – 47 phads (enough to sustain life), mean temperature of 78 quonas, high metallicity, and 34% relative humidity. Pidge’s scanners reported the composition of outermost shell of the planet’s surface: iron, oxygen, silicon, nickel. Planet’s density: 7.01 g/cm3 (127% of Earth’s density), radius: 5321.41 km (84% of Earth’s radius), and provided mapping of all subterranean rivers.

They soon found the source of the distress signal. A lone airship lay on its side in a crevice, with smoke coming out of a gaping hole where the cockpit should be. From still far above the Paladins could see there were people - or rather aliens - frantically coming to and fro the airship, saving whatever valuables there were still to save from fire.

"We'll go assess the situation and you stay in the Castle," Keith told Allura over the comm. "Keep it above, just in case."

He and Pidge left their hangars and swooped down to the castaways. Remembering the situation with bounty hunters, they both agreed to keep their distance. Before they even landed, they heard cheering. The two Lions stayed clear of the airship and Keith spoke over the outer speaker, "State your name and business!"

"We're an intergalactic courier company, and my name's Aberran Legis," the alien closest to the Black Lion said. "We were delivering titanium alloy to a nearby Solar System but our engines stopped working. Please, there's fire inside and it's dangerous with all the titanium there, can you help us?"

"Lance, you're in. You heard him," Keith said over the comm.

"You got it!"

"Sir, take all your crew away from the ship so we can extinguish the fire," Pidge instructed. The aliens started gathering around the Lions still sitting on the ground, while Blue emerged from the Castle above their heads and nosedived. Soon the wreck was dripping with water, the aliens were also wet, and a giant puddle formed by Black's front legs. The blueish light coming from the ship's inside brightened.

"You're supposed to be the sharpshooter!" Keith yelled as he felt an annoyed tug at the back of his mind from Black.

"Guys, I think it's burning even more?" Hunk spoke.

"I'm doing all I can, okay?" Lance grunted and shot another water stream. Aberran Legis yelled something while wringing his clothes, but nobody heard him over the sound of Lance's angry waterfall smashing the spaceship flat and a sudden explosion.

"Uhh, guys?"

Eventually, the Blue Lion landed next to the others and a very exasperated sigh could be heard. "Did I fuck up?" The wreck exploded once more.

"Water doesn't extinguish burning titanium!" Aberran Legis shouted again. The Paladins looked for his wiry figure but he disappeared behind thick and nasty smoke.

"Why didn't you say so before?!" Lance countered.

"I've been yelling all the time! And don't try carbon dioxide extinguishers 'cause they won't work either."

Keith lifted the Black Lion off the ground. "I don't suppose you're equipped with powder extinguisher?" He asked Lance.

"I can always make a lake and dump that wreck there. There's not much to be saved, I suppose."

"I don't know. Try it if you want." And then he told the others, "I'll scout the area. I have a feeling. Or maybe Black does."

They didn't question him as he flew over the wreckage and headed southwest. From his speakers he could hear that Pidge was trying to calm the aliens down, and that Lance was cursing. Bits of the burning metal shot up in another explosion and nearly hit Blue. But there was a more urgent matter that made Keith uneasy. Since he took reigns as Black’s pilot, Black had its talkative moments as well as quiet ones. This time it was speaking to Keith.

There were mountains up ahead to the southwest that could rival those on Mars. Keith would've smiled at the similarity between Dozur-Vah and Mars if he wasn't so worried.

"Stop it! You're only accelerating the burning!" Pidge shouted over the comm.

Far behind the tall mountain Keith finally saw what Black sensed. This planet was a Galra outpost and there were ships parked on the ground.

"We've been made! Everybody retreat! Allura, get ready for a wormhole!"

He could hear a cacophony of sounds that could only mean others were moving. "Keith, how many?" Allura demanded as she steered the Castle in his direction.

"About twenty ships. Mostly second-class, two first classes. Not so bad but we're in no condition to fight them. They haven't seen me, let's bail."

"Are you crazy? We can take them no problem!" Lance said and maneuvered his Lion away from the shipwreck that now was mostly scattered and still exploding. The Green Lion was covering the aliens away from flying bits of debris and metal. Blue quickly caught up with Black and sped forward, falling into line of sight of the enemy.

"This is not a place or time to heal your wounded ego, idiot!"

"I'm with Keith on this one," Pidge said. Hunk also agreed, which made Lance even more stubborn. By now the Galra have spotted the Blue Lion and were quickly taking off. Keith backtracked to meet with the Castle and assess the situation.

"Allura, you can get into the Red Lion and we'll finish this in no time!" Lance tried. "And you need the exercise."

Keith sighed heavily. "What she needs is practice! And get back here!"

"Don't listen to him. There's five of us, you'll be fine!"

"Wait. Twenty isn't the worst. I can do it. I am an Altean princess after all," Allura said and turned off her line. The enemy was drawing closer but they were taking their time as well, either because they knew they were no match for Voltron or they were strategizing.

But in their current situation, even a ship fleet like this one was a threat for the Paladins. They couldn't form Voltron with Allura as a Red Paladin. She had continuously demanded not be called that, anyway. And it had only been two weeks since the battle with Zarkon, spent on moping and arguing.

The other Lions gathered around Black, with Allura still in the Castle. Lance was giddy and ready to fight, which only made the others irritated.

"It's not like I'm a leader, you know, sitting here, piloting Black and wielding a Black Bayard sure doesn't make me a fucking Black Paladin," Keith cursed under his breath.

"Relax, we need some sport!" Lance replied. "Release the tension, y'know, and my deeply rooted desire to murder you. Plus, we haven’t fought in ages."

The first laser beams were shot simultaneously by two first classes. Keith instinctively turned to duck but quickly realized his blunder. Black resisted - it wasn't nearly as agile as Red and Keith narrowly missed the shot. He scolded himself for such aggravation – it made him make mistakes. Beside him, Hunk charged at the offenders with a war cry and Pidge dived for a surprise attack from below. As Lance was dancing between the Galra ships like a ballerina and Keith was trying to remember the familiarity of piloting Black that he had built up in the past two weeks, Allura emerged from the Castle inside Red and sped to reach the battlefield.

"What happened to these castaways?" She asked.

"I told them... Argh! To stay away from fire. Holy shit, there's more of them or do I see double?!"

"There's more of them, Pidge," Hunk groaned and hit the nearby ship. "And why didn't you use your Galra Finder?!"

"Stay away from the crowd over there, Allura. We'll take care of them," Keith said and threw one ship at several others. They all exploded into a giant ball of fire and black smoke. "Wow, do you think they carry flammable materials?"

"Nobody asked me to use my Galra Finder, I can't think of literally everything!"

"I can do it, Keith," and to prove a point Allura spit fire at the nearest enemy. Only, the fire grew and exploded in Red's face, catching Lance and Hunk off balance as well. In a split of a second the Galra had an upper hand and they used the opportunity to shoot down the Yellow and Red Lions. With his own Lion lying in a heap on the ground, Keith could no longer concentrate. Instead of flying into the remaining first class, he hooked Black's wing between Blue's shoulder blades and twisted the other Lion so hard that it turned upside down. Black turned unresponsive and right next to them, another explosion went off.

"Watch it, you idiot!"

"Sorr... Sorry."

A fight that normally would be just a formality and last ten minutes proved to be too difficult for Paladins in such a disarray. Lance was trying to save face and Pidge was ferocious but that wasn't enough to win, with two Lions out and the third one suddenly acting up. Keith could feel Black's trust he had gained over the past two weeks was quickly draining as he subconsciously connected with Red. Apparently you can't be two Paladins at once, and if Black felt cheated, he could be just as stubborn as Red.

The Castle floated beside the fallen Lions. All by himself, not counting Slav, Coran couldn't help much - he couldn't steer the ship and fire simultaneously, and he didn't have access to the Particle Barrier so he mostly focused on not being hit. Allura piloting the Red Lion decreased their overall fighting capabilities the most. Even Shiro's disappearance didn't have such a bad impact on the whole team.

Eventually Keith rounded up all remaining enemy ships in one cluster and Pidge glued them all together with vines. Meanwhile, Allura left the Red Lion and came back to the Castle to ready a wormhole. With most of the offenders tied up and struggling to stay up in the air, Keith, Pidge and Lance lifted Red and Yellow up and carried them to their hangars. Once again they left a fight with their tails between their legs and a minute later they appeared two galaxies away from Dozur-Vah.

 

 

"It must've been ammonia and methane combination that caused these explosions when we were fighting. And that titanium? I reckon they're left with a useless titanium dioxide now, since heat causes it to react with atmospheric oxygen... Anyway, we kind of left them behind on Galra soil. Do you think they're going to be alright?"

They were all in the Control Room. Allura stood on her usual pedestal, both Lance and Hunk flopped down on their armchairs. Coran stood beside Pidge and Keith lingered by the doors, arms crossed and brows furrowed.

"Honestly, they're probably already on their way to a work camp," he said. "So, what lesson have you learned from today? I'm talking to you two," he nodded at Allura and Lance.

They reluctantly turned to look at him. "Well, I'm waiting."

"I'll start, then," Allura said with a sigh. "I am quite embarrassed, really. I thought that because I am who I am, I can pilot a Lion without trouble, even if I'm not its Paladin. And I was fooled by how responsive the Red Lion was in the past weeks. But my failure was only my own fault, caused by my overconfidence and arrogance, and conceit. I guess I was trying to be the hero. I am truly sorry for putting you all in danger because of my incompetence."

Keith didn't show any sign of accepting the apology, but instantly turned his head to Lance. The other looked him straight in the eye and said nothing for a long time. This was a small staring contest that didn't help Lance's cause in the slightest. Eventually he yielded and said, "I shouldn't have said anything about fighting which was against the supreme leader."

"Or rather instigate others to take arms in a hopeless situation, if you choose that kind of narrative."

"Give me a break, I wanted well. And I fucked up, first trying to put out the fire and blowing the shipwreck to pieces, and then with the fight. What else do you want me to tell you?"

"Technically, it wasn't your fault, it's just chemistry of titanium..." Pidge tried.

"I don't think you're mentally capable to tell me what I want to hear," Keith said. "So I'll tell you something instead - one more insubordination on your part and I will personally give you a military discipline lesson and you'll be sorry you're a Paladin. As long as I pilot Black, I have the last word. And no, I'm not a supreme leader and I'm not a dictator, and I can be wrong so you're all welcome to contribute, but I will not have you or anyone else riling the others up for a fight if it's too risky. I'm not Shiro who would pat you on the head and say 'it's fine, Lance, everybody makes mistakes', and leave the matter. We are weakened now, so we have to be extra smart and we can't afford to make mistakes. So drill that into your head and next time maybe you'll think twice about spouting shit."

"Roger that," Lance muttered and turned his armchair so he wouldn't face anyone.

They've been slowly falling apart since they defeated Zarkon but now it felt like they hit rock bottom. Everybody felt anxious about Shiro disappearing straight from Black's cockpit. The microphones inside had been all on and no one had heard any sound that would indicate trouble or distress. It was as if Shiro dispersed like a cloud. What happened there?

On the other hand, even though it was made clear by Shiro before that Keith would take his place should anything happen to him, and no one objected (except for Keith himself), now the team was prone to distrust and in rare cases straight up lack of respect, like now. Keith partly understood. He wasn't a born leader and it was an unwelcome change for everyone. But they had to cope somehow, gather themselves, start looking for Shiro and not get killed in the process. Only, no one knew where to start. The universe was ridiculously vast and they couldn't exactly throw themselves straight into Galra hands, especially if their fighting was this bad now.

"Allura," Keith started. "We'll practice tomorrow. You have to learn how to control Red and I have some work to do with Black as well."

"Alright. But I thought you've bonded already?"

"Technically, yes. But there's always more you can do," Keith's tone was softer now as anger and frustration melted away. Now he just looked tired. "Everyone else is welcome to come. Pidge, remember to scan space with your Galra Finder from time to time. We should lay low for now."

"Sure, I will. I was planning to make more and install them inside the Lions, what do you think?"

"Good idea. In case we get scattered again, right?"

A few minutes later Keith excused himself and went to Black's hangar. If he lingered by the doors just a moment, he would've heard Coran telling Lance off. 

**Author's Note:**

> 1\. There will be quite a lot of science in this fic. Mostly quantum mechanics and chemistry, also a bit of IT. If you’re not scientifically literate you might find it difficult to understand some things. I still urge you to read because you might learn some cool stuff.  
> 2\. I beg you not to hate me for how I portrayed Lance in the first chapter. I have an arc planned out for him, a huge character development and he’s going to do awesome things but I needed some contrast to show where he started from.  
> 3\. The first two chapters are slow-ish. Some things just had to be said and shown. The action starts from the third chapter, so please bear with me!  
> 4\. I suck at writing fight scenes. I’m sorry.  
> 5\. Kudos and comments are much appreciated.  
> 6\. English isn’t my native language and I apologize for all mistakes I've made. I’m currently looking for a beta reader (preferably American) so if you’re interested, message me!
> 
> My Tumblr: just1minute.tumblr.com


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